1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical connector adapters and, more particularly, to optical connector adapters having latch inserts.
2. Brief Description of Earlier Developments
Optical connector adapters are used generally for end to end mating of optical connectors. Optical connectors intended to be mated to each other are inserted into the adapter. The adapter aligns and positions the connectors relative to each other to effect a connection. The adapters include receptacles into which the connectors are inserted, and it is the receptacles that accurately position the connectors relative to each other. Also, the receptacles may have locking features which lock the connectors to the adapter, and hence, to each other. Conventional adapters are made in pieces. For example, the conventional adapter may have an outer frame with features, such as flanges, for mounting the adapter to printed circuit boards (PCBs) or the chassis of electronic devices. The inner receptacles of the adapter may be molded separately from the outer frame. Having the receptacles made apart from the outer frame allows the receptacles to be shaped more accurately to better interface with the connector inserted therein, and also simplifies manufacture of both the outer frame and the inner receptacles. This in turn reduces manufacturing costs. However, the outer frame of the adapter is sectioned in order to facilitate installation of the inner receptacles into the outer frame. For example, the adapter frame may be sectioned into halves. The receptacle may be inserted into each half, such as by press fitting the receptacle into the appropriate half frame. Then, the half frames, with the receptacles therein may be bonded to each other by means such as ultrasonic bonding. This method is likely to result in misalignment between the receptacles in the adapter. This may be caused by small differences in the positioning of the receptacles in the frame halves, which are compounded when the position of one receptacle is related to the adjoining receptacles. Also, some misalignment between receptacles may be introduced when the adapter halves are mated and then bonded. The misalignment between receptacles in turn causes misalignment between mating connectors inside the adapter thereby degrading the connection between connectors. One example of an optical connector adapter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,663, which provides an adapter for holding coaxially aligned connectors. The adapter here has a main body with a side opening for installing a inner housing into the main body. The opening in the main body is covered with a panel. The large opening reduces the rigidity of the main body in this adapter. U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,971 discloses another example of a conventional optical adapter comprising first and second receptacle members and separate alignment sleeves located in the receptacle members. U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,611 discloses still another example of a conventional adapter comprising an outer part and an inner part fixedly held in the outer part. The inner part is one molding which may be difficult and costly to produce especially in the case of larger multi-fiber optical connectors. The present invention overcomes the problems of conventional adapters for all connector types (i.e. SC, LP, MTP, or MPO connectors).